22.12.2025

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Your life story will be an inspiration to readers of Andante, Turkey’s Classical Music Magazine, which reaches all age groups. Would you kindly share with us your journey up to the founding of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (EPCC), the environment you grew up in, your education and the pivotal moments that led you to become a conductor? 
I grew up in Tallinn in a family where music was part of everyday life – my father was a choir conductor and my mother worked at Estonian Radio. I sang in my father’s children’s choir, learned to play the piano, and became fascinated by shaping music together with others.
 
I studied at the Tallinn Conservatoire and later at the Leningrad Conservatory. In 1981, feeling the need for an ensemble that could perform both the choral classics and contemporary works – especially by Estonian composers – I founded the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. That vision has guided my work ever since.           
 
How did the idea of founding the EPCC come about? When you compare your initial goals with your current vision, what changes or developments stand out?     
The idea of founding the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in 1981 came from a desire to create an ensemble that could perform both the great works of the choral repertoire and new music, especially by Estonian composers. At the time, I wanted to bring together singers who could work at the highest artistic level and explore a wide stylistic range.
 
Over the years, the vision has expanded. International collaborations, recordings, and tours have shown me how our music can speak to audiences far beyond Estonia. While the commitment to artistic excellence and to our own composers has remained unchanged, I now see the choir as a cultural ambassador — carrying the richness of our choral tradition to the world stage.  


Tõnu Kaljuste ©️ Krõõt Tarkmeel       
 
How did your collaboration with Arvo Pärt begin? 
My collaboration with Arvo Pärt began in the late 1980s with his Te Deum, which I performed with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. When we later met in person, there was an instant artistic connection, and this grew into a lasting partnership that has shaped much of my musical life.         
 
How do you evaluate Arvo Pärt’s philosophical approach to music? I would also appreciate it if you could talk about tintinnabuli.
Arvo Pärt’s musical philosophy is grounded in a profound sense of silence, simplicity, and spirituality. For him, sound is not merely a material phenomenon but a vessel that can reveal inner truth, and therefore silence is just as important as the notes themselves.
 
Tintinnabuli, which Pärt developed in the mid-1970s, embodies this way of thinking. This musical language consists of two interwoven voices: one moves step by step, reflecting the human and fragile, while the other arpeggiates a triad, symbolizing order and eternity. Their interplay creates music that is at once simple and profound.
 
What makes Pärt unique is that tintinnabuli is not merely a technique but an aesthetic and spiritual worldview. It gives his music a meditative and purifying quality that resonates on both ancient and universal levels.
 
After recording Arvo Pärt’s Te Deum in 1993, what sources of inspiration or motivations influenced your decision to continue interpreting his other works?  
After recording Te Deum in 1993, I felt there was still so much more of Arvo’s musical world to explore. His music came into my life after a period immersed in the works of Veljo Tormis, where I had engaged deeply with my musical mother tongue — the ancient Estonian folk song. Pärt’s scores invite a similar depth of focus and contemplation, yet speak in a different, universal language. I was also inspired by the way audiences responded — not only in Estonia but internationally — with a sense of stillness and connection. That combination of artistic depth and human resonance made me want to continue bringing his music to life.       
 
How has working directly with composers, especially Arvo Pärt, influenced your career and musical perspective?    
Working directly with composers has shaped my career by teaching me to see music as a living dialogue. With Arvo Pärt, this meant not only realising the notes on the page, but understanding the spiritual depth behind them. These collaborations have sharpened my interpretation and deepened my respect for the creative process.        
 
How do you assess the roles of Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis in shaping and developing the choral culture in Estonia?     
Arvo Pärt and Veljo Tormis have both shaped Estonia’s choral culture, but in fundamentally different ways. Pärt brought a profound spiritual dimension to music, with his tintinnabuli style elevating Estonian choral art to the world stage. His works speak a universal language while retaining a distinct spiritual identity. Tormis, in turn, grounded his music in the tradition of runo-song, giving it a contemporary voice. His choral cycles preserve cultural memory, with the choir becoming a storyteller of the nation’s history and identity.
 
Together, Pärt and Tormis embody two poles of Estonian choral culture – the universal and the national – and their legacies have given it a powerful global resonance.
      
What projects do you plan to implement in the upcoming period? Could you also share with us the dreams that excite you the most?    
In the coming period, I plan to focus on projects in the field of music theatre. I am working to present two productions internationally: Philip Glass’s Hydrogen Jukebox and the opera Lalli by Veljo Tormis and Rasmus Puur. Both works speak in very different musical languages, yet each has a strong dramatic and cultural identity, and bringing them to new audiences is something that excites me greatly.         
 
What advice would you give to young conductors and composers who are finding their way in today’s music world?    
Stay curious and keep listening — not only to music, but to the world around you. Build your craft patiently, and don’t rush to find a “signature style” before you’ve explored many different voices. For conductors, respect the score but also the musicians in front of you; for composers, trust your own voice, even when it leads you away from trends. Most importantly, remember that music is a shared human experience — it grows when it connects people. 

Yiğit Can Eyüboğlu